Ulysses 100
Stamps to mark the centenary of the first publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Ulysses is James Joyce’s most famous work and considered to be one of the greatest and most influential pieces of modernist literature. Joyce began working on the novel in 1914 and Ulysses was first published as a complete volume on February 2nd 1922 (Joyce’s 40th birthday).
The design, by Amsterdam-based The Stone Twins, overlays the colours and structure defined in Joyce’s ‘Gilbert Schema’ with photographs from the JJ Clarke collection.
The ‘Gilbert Schema’ was produced by James Joyce in order to help readers understand the enormous complexity of Ulysses. Joyce recognised that readers needed some support in grasping the nuanced allusions and intricate structures.
The celebrated photographs of JJ Clarke (1879-1961) offer a glimpse into James Joyce’s Dublin at the turn of the last century. The figures in the scenes could easily have appeared in Ulysses, and been passed by Stephen Dedalus or Leopold Bloom as they wander through Dublin on 16th June 1904.
Issued by: An Post (Irish Postal Service)
Design: The Stone Twins
Photos: Images reproduced courtesy of the National Library of Ireland